All About Me

A few years ago I found myself unexpectedly without any ducks to line up. My job was gone, and a new journey seemed in order. I'm just entering (having finished the schooling) a new career as a nurse, and I’m dreaming about the new journeys that will open to me. A pierced nose, wearing scarves often and still dreaming of traveling the world, writing in European coffee shops, praying in South American ruins, and living somewhere warm enough to wear skirts with flip flops or really cute shoes year round remain high on my list of priorities! These days that warm place I'm dreaming about is Florida... maybe someday I'll escape my cold Canadian home for warmer climes!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

I was hoping for more from this title. A memoir of his journey through cancer treatments, the book is a series of letters to friends and family, with a few reflections interspersed. I think that I was hoping for a more intimate account of the day to day struggles, and this isn't what was provided. That said, towards the end of the book, I was moved to tears as I sat on the bus and read the closing of his account. It's not the easiest read, not particularly flowing, and perhaps even a bit dense - like reading the correspondence of a stranger, without any emotional attachment. So, not a stellar recommendation, but definitely not a wasted read.

In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom (Qanta A. Ahmed, MD)

This was an absolutely fascinating read, and one which I will likely re-read at some point in the months to come. It is the personal account of a single female British Muslim doctor, who, after training in the United States, suddenly found herself without a visa, and accepted a position in Saudi Arabia. It explores medicine, her experiences as a woman, and as a Muslim. I was particularly captured by her description of her experience of hajj, and of encounters with the religious police. As I read I found myself making a list of questions, to be answered with further reading and research. A book that captures me with narrative and leaves me with challenging questions for further reading and study is pretty much my definition of a great read. For those interested in Islam, the middle east, memoir, culture, or even women's issues, this is definitely worth the time spent reading, and as I said, I expect to re-read it later in the year.